New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-07

| Hebrew people had to pass through period or the
narrowest bigotry and dolatry. The strength
which they developed was to be nourished upon
religion VIII Oh made Iahve cnphaiically tribal
deity, and which derived through densey anthropo-
morphic conceptions divine sanction for the most
abomnab.e crimes. NJ. Renan does not believe 10
tho story of the Egyptian captivity as told III tne
Bible. He holds that the Hebrew serviiude was
at most partial be rejects he whole of the Phara-
aonIc episode, and considers the Exodus simple
movement undertaken probably at time when
the weakening of the Egyptian power andthe com
Dination of external assaults with internal convni-
SONS left the government neither inclination nor
opportunity to hinder the departure OF the Israel
ties or course the passage of the Red Sea is set
down as fable, and the sojourn In the Desert is
explained as merely p7otractcd journey
The departing Israelites took with them many
Egyptian ideas and institutions. The whole sacer-
dotaI system NJ Renan ascribes to Egypt. As to
the status Of Moses lie is dubious. There may have
been such a man, or he may be myth. If he
really lived, however. he was much more probably
such n leader Add EEL Kader than what he Is rep
resented as in The Biblical narrative. The ark was
! an Egyptian device however. beyond doubt. and
! the so-called cherubim placed over it NJ. Renan is
J convinced were really Egyptian sphnXcs. The
| " shew- bread OF the Bible was also taken from
Egyptian ceremonial, and the serpent. afterward
! lifted ND in the wilderness had the same origin.
The ephod and the Trim and Thummim have per-
picked many scholars that 1t is not surprising 10
! find NJ. Renan in doubt as to Their significance.
The ephOd he alphabetically assumes to have been
a mechanical means of divination. and while he
refrans from any attempt to describe 1t the infer
once from his references is that in some nneX-
blamed way oracular responses were obtained lby
chcanery UNDERSTOOD from tins machine. In this
NJ. Remains memorable matcuallsm narr0ws MS
views mischievOusly. His 81 stematic exclusion OF
the supernatural compels HIM to ignore mass of
evidence not only as credible as that III
support of any of tho allegations he accepts,
but which is confirmed br cham OF tes-
tlmony extending unbroken line from
tho dawn of history to the present day.
The familiarity of the Egyptian priesthood with
what Is now called animal magnetism, mesmcrsm
or hypnot sm and their systematic employment OF
If III their religious ceremonies is completely
proved as il is possible for anything 10 he. TIE
reality of the force agency can at present ONLY
he questioned bv the ignorant. and II IL above all
French men of science that the fullest and most
recent re searches into the subject arc due. Now
the uses 10 which the ephod put, as
shown all through the old Testament narrative
indicate analogles with animal magnetism whlchlt
is impossible for any one not fitted with material
stic blinkers to overlook. This kind of dvna'lon.
lonians and by the Canaanltcs and the PnIstines.
Inquiry in that direction would perhaps lead 10
something but VI Rcnan is estopp"d from all such
investigation b, his profrssed me hOds.
The passage through the desert necessarily under
goes in NJ. Remains hands process Of reduction.
All miracle being excluded, the Bible story has To
be revised throughout. 1T would have been
truly Miraculous he observes. IF the sraslilcs
could have survived in the Desert Of Sinai suppos
ing them to have been as numerous and their so
iourn as long as the legend claims. But the trddI-
ton certainly presents great exagGer1tlonS Inc
troop of furltives was infinitely smaller than tho
hvperboiic figures of the text make 1t appear; IN the
second place the duration OF their wanderIngs was
much shorter than has been believed IHdonhied-
ly he thinks the journey full Of hard,nipS and
it left deep Impression In the spirit of Israel
NJ Renan deVO.es a remarkable chapter TO sinai
1t might be termed one OF tho highesi efforts OF
irIellgous mtcllectualisn 1t is full of the most
brilliant conceptions the most vivid description
the most imaginative exposition; but all on the
plane of a hard mat.rIalism He thus introduces
the subject:
&" fhe solid mass of Sinai formed OF somhre
granite that the sun, which giids all things, has
bathed for ages without penetrating. Is one
of the most singular phenomena on the face Of the
globe. 1t Is the perfect image of one Of those
natural fc' urcs of 4 world without atmosphere or
water such as see in the moon not that IFS
SUBMITS are not often crowned with fearful
storms But the tempest. elsewhere beneficeht. IS
only terrible here; 1t might be an Inorganic phc-
nomenon. metallic in some way, concert INTO
winch the only sounds that entered were those OF
the cannon the drum, 'he trumpet and the bell.
Stern dctics should Ehabii these snnlnits; II -
Olympus depIiN cd Of lis streams and forests OF
all that constitutes Naturc-sun. clouds, water.
mo htr
but rock. stratcd by ribbons Of metal! sonnet mos
condensed into shining gem always hostile 10
life and icyulsing il on every side. The PRODUCTS Of
SInai are copper, turquoIsos all the rc usroi md
of natural Wit rifcatIon. The lhora also II II SAID,
issued thence, but never 'c Excepting the llttle
oasis of The Convent Of SAINT Catharinr thc Gesp-
latIon alb olute; in this an'human region there
is not fruit not gram 81 wheat, not a drop OF
water But nowhere IL tn. light so intense. TN" a r
Gear, the snow SO dazzling The silence Of these
solitudos i, terrifying whispered word provoke-
strange echoes; the traveller il startled hy the
sound of his own steps. II Is truly the mountain
OF the Eohim. with their invisible u'lInc-. their
deceptive tfausparcncics, their mystic glImmer
ings."
Upon such a mountain. NJ. Rcnan thinks il was
quite natural that tie facc Imagination of the
Semitic nornads should be taken captive by the
aw fui manifestations of nature and that the thuu
der and lightning. the threatening cloud and the
grim peaks should suggest to their ovcTheated
nnds of "A fierce aud consuming deity " The
God Of Sinai. they saw, was u God Of thunder.
HIS thc0phluI.s IN the storm. amid the Hash
ing of he lightning The ancient Iahv6 had per
haps already some Of these characteristics. Iahv3
elsewhere took definitely tie role Of protective
deity of Israel, replacing the old ElOhm III the
imagination of the people. 1t was therefore quite
natural that he should be identified with tIe
deity over whose territory they were passing.
and whose terrible manifestations they believed
themselves 10 be seeing. Smal was
thenceforth the foundation Of all the Hebrew the
oogy. It WAS persistcntlv declared that lahve APP
peared there for the first time under the form Of
fame But NJ. Renan is satisfied that something